Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §37.5.11.pr

Legacies by Appointed Heir When Inheritance Is Unaccepted

Passage 5760 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Explains that when both the appointed heir and the substitute are alive but no one enters upon the inheritance, the legacies given by the appointed heir must be performed.

[PAULUS libro quadragesimo primo ad edictum. ] §37.5.11.prAt ubi institutus et substitutus uiuant, licet nemo adeat hereditatem, ea tamen legata deberi dicimus, quae ab instituto data sunt.

[PAULUS libro quadragesimo primo ad edictum.] But where both the appointed heir and the substitute are alive, even though no one enters upon the inheritance, we nevertheless say that those legacies are due which were given by the appointed heir.

Notes

37.5.11.prlicet nemo adeat — The conjunction licet with the subjunctive present adeat introduces a concessive clause ("even though no one..."). In this legal context, adeat hereditatem (entering upon the inheritance) refers to the formal acceptance of the inheritance under the will. The sentence asserts that even if no acceptance takes place, the obligation to pay the legacies of the appointed heir remains in effect when possession of goods contrary to the will is claimed.
37.5.11.prdeberi — A passive infinitive in the accusative-with-infinitive (ACI) construction governed by the main verb dicimus ("we say"). Its subject accusative is ea legata, meaning "that those legacies are due".

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §37.5.11.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:37.5.11.pr

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